The World of Fashion.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXII, Issue XIII, 1 April 1899, Page 427

The World of Fashion.

By

MARGUERITE.

Autumn Costumes. —While there are many fabrics that are quite as appropriate to one season as another, it has been the custom to ignore the division of the year between summer and autumn, and to wear summer costumes until colder weather compels the adoption of warmer garments for winter. It may be questioned whether this is strictly in accord with the highest ideas of fashion. For autumn costumes, trimmed skirts and over-

-kiits are quite the accepted styles, and the old-time polonaise, or .-etiii.gote, is, as one fashionable wontttu expressed it, ‘singing in the wind.' Xo style was ever more becoming to a tine figure. Now that sales of s tinnier stock are coming to an end. anti tin awful sacrifices’ of surplus goods-, have cleared somewhat the shelves and windows of our dress emporiums, the new winter goods will shortly lie making their appearance. Already some days have been cold enough to make light blouses and muslins uncomfortable, and tailoring and dressmaking establishments are now busy with tweeds, cloths, and other tailormade costumes.

We have sketched a Trelawny shape with strings. This is a pearl-grey felt trimmed with grey chiffon drapings and strings and claret-coloured ostrich feathers. A fascinating chapeau this for a clear eomplexioned >ruuette.

The turned-back hat is still in ii<imce. rather painfully so at lititei; for it is a shape that demands a il:--tinctly refined face and style, or the effect is what Mrs (lamp called ‘bragen.’ There is nothing to be defined as to coming pros or eons in millinery, and the straw which shows which way the wind blows has not yet tippea red.

Into what fascinating garments have pinafores developed of late years for little girls'? Even boys have improved in their overalls upon the pil low or bolster-ease with a string round the neck with which heir much-tried frocks or suits were wont to be covered in school or play hours, and they' now look quite nice in the Holland smocks, with collar, cuffs, at.d scarlet braid bindings. The girls' pinafores now are—excepting. of course, for quite rough wear—so extremely pretty anil dainty, that they are frequently more attractive than the frock they are employed to pro-

Uct. The designs are endless; but, out <>t many we have been recently almiring, that sketched here was perhaps as novel as any. besides being easy to carry out at home. It was of mull muslin and embroidery, and made smock fashion into a squarecut yoke of insertion. A strap if ♦he mine passed down the centre; th,* whole being edged with a flouncing of the mu broidery. Under this edging (over the shoulders) was also an epaulette of the flouncing. The* bottom of the pinafore was finished by a flouncing, insertion, and three small tucks; and from the* point of the centre strap of insertion fell a bow and long ends of pale blue ribbon.

The sequin and other trimmings of the ‘glit. glit. glitter’ ilk still hold us firmly under their glamour, ami for evening wear especially are in evidence here, there, and everywhere. A hodice that particularly fascinated us al a well-known modiste's the other day was of black chiffon, with an ap-

plique of glittering steel sequins in yoke form over the shoulders, pointing down hi the centre* of bust, and from the distinct yoke fell slender threads of much smaller sequins dropping at intervals to the* waist amongst the* folds, which, of course, ultimately pouched at the* waist. This would make a most effective bodice for an informal dinner or theatre, as we* lliink will be* seen from our note cl it in this figure*, and might be* successfully realised by our readers of taste and ready fingers.

In this figure we have the representative* evening cape of the moment, from a model just sketched at one of our great modistes'. This is fashioned in ‘Fleur eh* Velours,’ the exquisite new (‘veiling fabric, and is of a water-lily green, which is much affected just now, and is very uel»cate ami lovely for such purpose :»s

evening wear. The surrounding flounce is lieade*d by white fear|i**r trimming, continuing round the high collar. The cape is further adorned by an embroidery of tiny gold ar.d silver spangles, and is line*d with white satin. Our ingenious readers will sen* numerous possibilities in such a design as this for utilisng their own materials and resources.

The plaid or tartan skirt is a power in the land of fashion just now, and is specially smart in conjunction with a little ‘mess’ jacket of dark velvet. In this figure we have a very modish and attractive toilette built on these lilies. The skirt is of tartan, in subdued greens and blues, very tight anil close-fitting half-way from waist downwards, and very full below. The waist is encircled by a folded belt of shot blue, and green silk. Thy jacket is of black velvet, cut in four points above the waist, edged with very narrow dark sable, and fastened on the left side bv three small

glass buttons. A smarter, or more np-to-monient autumn toilette could scarcely be found.

There is a eraze just now for glass buttons. Some call them crystal, but rliis is a forced politeness, for they really do not rise to the dignity of crystal, but are, in plain fact, glass and nothing but glass. It is difficult to discover the fascination of these buttons; they seem to us so very meretricious on good and handsome materials, but fashion fancies are difficult to account for more than occasiona 11 v.